October's Madmen

I am sitting here in my... er, my roommates La-Z-Boy, new laptop at the ready, and watching Game 1 of the ALCS being played by the, get this, White Sox and Angels. Clearly this is someone's idea of a joke.

Actually, let me retract that last statement. It's utterances EXACTLY like those above which make the rest of the country growl when the names Red Sox or Yankees are mentioned (although more people like the Red Sox, because the Yankees simply suck.) I don't write a lot about sports on this blog for the simple reason that I am not at all objective. But then, who the hell am I kidding? This isn't journalism... and journalism isn't objective either.... so there goes that entire argument.

Fine. Sports talk it is. At least for this post.

I'm actually OK with this whole ALCS (American League Championship Series. That's baseball for those of you who choose to pay attention to more "important" issues.... losers.) My beloved Boston Red Sox (or Calcetines Rojos for our Spanish speaking friends) got swept by the pale hose of Chicago about a week back, and while I was slightly bitter the night the final out went down, I quickly got over it when I remembered that a) the Red Sox won the World Series last year and b) on the list of teams to hate the White Sox are somewhere near the bottom, having not won a World Series themselves since 1917 - a wait two years longer than any Red Sox fan had to endure. That's what happens when you throw the World Series (which the White Sox, of course, did in 1919 leading to that year's team being called the "Black Sox." This is all covered in the film Eight Men Out - a fine piece of cinema.)

Now, about the White Sox' opponent, the Anaheim Angels. Er, excuse me, I mean the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (yes, that's their name. Utterly ridiculous. They shouldn't be allowed to play the game much less market any merchandise.) I'm not a huge fan of this team. I've always found them annoying, and I will forever remember one of their former players, Bobby Gritch, acting like a dick during the 1986 ALCS against the Red Sox, back when they were known as the California Angels. They won the World Series as recently as 2002 (again, when they were known as the Anaheim Angels) and attributed it to a stupid good luck charm called the Karaoke Rally Monkey. I won't bother to explain, but it was another reason for me not to like them. They DID earn brownie points however, because they beat the Yankees to get to where they are now - and any team that beats the Yankees, particularly in humiliating fashion, is deserving enough, I suppose.

So, the nation has been spared a third straight Red Sox/Yankees ALCS, and I would imagine those not living in Boston or New York are probably pretty happy with that. Plus, after two straight Octobers of teeth gnashing, expletive shouting, and completely draining yet sleepless nights, I'm content to watch from afar this year and prepare myself for next. Besides, up until now I've been too busy at work to really enjoy much of anything this time around.

Ah... work. The reason for my existence. FINALLY, there's a light at the end of the sewage pipe. I am through setting up the student laptops and am now just dealing with the inevitable aftermath. Usually goes something like, "Excusa meeee, Eriku. Myyy computah, eh, can't connecto."

*sigh*

Screw it. Let's just declare everyone a winner and go home. The 2005 American League Champions? The Los Angeles White Angels of Chicago. Game over. Good night. Let me see those laptops, ladies. There's always nexto yearo.